The present invention relates generally to coolers and refrigerators and more particularly relates to coolers that store and dispense consumer products in a first in and first out manner.
Two major goals in cooler design and construction are (1) marketing and (2) efficiency. By marketing, we mean that the cooler and the products therein should be visually appealing so as to catch the eye of the consumer. Further, the cooler may provide advertising space and indicia thereon so as to promote the use and sale of the products therein. By efficiency, we mean that the cooler should take up no more space than necessary, that the cooler should promote product usage and storage in a consistent manner, i.e., in a first in and first out manner, and that the energy usage should be reasonable.
These goals are sometimes in competition with one another. For example, it is common to make the door on the cooler as large as possible such that the consumer can see all the products therein. The use of a large door, however, may limit the amount of space available on the exterior of the cooler for advertising and may not promote the usage of the products therein in the first in and first out manner. Conversely, coolers with first in and first out mechanisms are known. These mechanisms, however, generally limit the available space for promoting the products and may be difficult to use or restock.
What is needed, therefore, is a cooler that promotes product usage in a first in and first out manner while also providing sufficient interior product space and sufficient exterior marketing space. The cooler also should be efficient in terms of size and overall energy usage. These goals should be accomplished in a cooler that is reasonable in terms of cost of manufacture and cost of usage.
The present invention thus provides a cooler with an insulated shell and a product loading system. The insulated shell has an access portion and a loading portion. The product loading system has a gravity-feed loading element and a dispensing cup. The use of the access portion and the loading portion provides for first in and first out loading and may provide for zoned cooling. The use of the gravity feed loading element and the dispensing cup allows for easy removal of a product from the cooler. The cooler also provides for increased visibility and marketing.
Specific embodiments of the present invention provide for both the access portion and the loading portion having a chilled temperature. Alternatively, the loading portion may have an ambient temperature. The insulated shell may include a wall positioned therein between the access portion and the loading portion. An access door may be positioned on the insulated shell adjacent to the access portion while a loading door may be positioned on the insulated shell adjacent to the loading portion. The loading door may include an advertising panel and also may have a substantially convex shape. The cooler may have a number of loading portions with a number of loading doors. Specifically, the cooler may have a loading portion positioned on either side of the access portion with a convex loading door positioned adjacent to each of the loading portions. The convex loading doors define a chamber adjacent to the access door. The cooler may have advertising indicia positioned thereon.
The gravity-feed loading element may include a neck tracker tube. The neck tracker tube may have a U-shape with a loading end positioned within the loading portion and one or more dispensing ends or tubes positioned within the access portion. The loading end may be elevated from the dispensing ends by about seven to about nine degrees. The dispensing cup may be positioned adjacent to each of the dispensing ends of the neck tracker tube. The dispensing cup may have a base and a support rail. The product loading system may have a number of the gravity-feed loading elements and a number of the dispensing cups.
A number of the products, such as bottles, may be positioned within the product loading system. The cooler also may have a light emitting diode positioned within the access portion. The cooler also may have a scuff panel positioned about the insulated shell.
A further embodiment of the present invention may provide a loading system for a number of bottles in a cooler. The loading system may include a gravity feed element having a loading end and one or more dispensing ends. A dispensing cup may be positioned adjacent to each of the dispensing ends. The gravity feed elements may be in the form of a neck tracker tube. Each of the bottles includes a neck portion and a base portion. The neck tracker tube may have a C shape so as to support each of the bottles by the neck portion. The dispensing cup may have a base so as to support each of the bottles by the base portion.
The loading end of the gravity feed element has a higher position than the dispensing end such that the bottles slide from the loading end to the dispensing end. Likewise, the loading end of the gravity feed element may have an ambient temperature while the dispensing end may have a chilled temperature. The dispensing cup extends beyond the gravity feed element such that the gravity feed element does not interfere with the removal of one of the bottles from the dispensing cup. The loading system may have a number of gravity feed elements and a number of dispensing cups.
A method of the present invention provides for storing a number of the products in a cooler. The cooler may have a product loading system extending from a loading end to a dispensing end and may have a dispensing cup positioned adjacent to the dispensing end. The method includes the steps of loading the products into the loading end of the product loading system, sliding the products from the loading end to the dispensing end, sliding a first one of the products from the dispensing end of the product loading system to the dispensing cup, and removing the first one of the products from the dispensing cup. The method may further include the step of sliding a second one of the products from the product loading system to the dispensing cup after the first one of the products has been removed.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides a cooler for housing a number of products. The cooler includes an insulated shell, an access door, and a light emitting diode positioned therein. The light emitting diode illuminates the products within the cooler. The cooler may have a number of the light emitting diodes.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.